As you may be aware, we continue to operate under a severe bus driver shortage. We’re 8-10 drivers short of being fully staffed. Hard to believe, but we are better staffed now than we have been.
Transportation is not only a vital part of getting our students to and from home. It is also how we get our athletes safely from school to away games. We are doing our best to provide transportation service to all components of our school programs and have not yet had to cancel 10th-period transportation or any away games this season. The Transportation Department has had to make difficult choices in order to get our students where they need to go, when they need to get there. Here are just some things behind the scenes making our district’s transportation run smoothly:
Every member of the transportation department, including mechanics, dispatchers, the assistant director, and the director, has been driving to fill in the empty driver seats.
We have combined sports runs in lieu of canceling away games. This means two or more teams (with their coaches) are transported to the same or different school districts for their competitions. We have also capitalized on the transportation departments of neighboring schools to provide transportation for our athletes.
We have utilized our current features in the Stopfinder app to better inform families of the location and timelines for their child’s arrival home. There are more features on the horizon.
Our number one priority is the safety of all passengers on our buses. Here are some things our district is working on to alleviate the obstacles that have been affected by our severe bus driver shortage.
We will be improving our communication with families
We will be introducing our student attendance system in the near future. This feature will digitally record attendance on each route and also has the ability to notify guardians through the Stopfinder app when their student is on the bus. We will use this information to make our bus routes more efficient with the possibility of reducing route times. More information will be provided to families when this feature is fully tested.
We will consider adding additional contracted runs to help ease the pressure on our current driving force. However, contract transportation companies are experiencing the same shortages.
We will continue to actively recruit drivers for open positions.
We know some of our bus routes are lengthy with students riding for long periods of time. If your family is no longer using the District’s bus service please let our Transportation Department know. This will alleviate the amount of stops a driver must make during each route. If you would like to return to using transportation services again please let us know we’ll resume pick-ups for your student.
If you have any questions about your student’s transportation please use the Who to Contact and When guide located on the second page of the District’s wall Calendar. This guide was created to help ensure that questions and concerns from our community are addressed in the most efficient and effective manner possible. It outlines who you should contact first for information in a particular area, as well as the next steps if your concern is not addressed. We also encourage families to download the Stopfinder app where you can receive notifications and updates related to your student’s transportation, school closing/delays, scheduled day off reminders, and more. Through the Stopfinder app, you can also send private messages to Ravena Coeymans Selkirk CSD Transportation Department.
If you are interested, we are always looking for qualified drivers and we are willing and able to train. Find out more here.